‘Tuck Everlasting’ to premiere at Colonial

BOSTON — Once again, the road to Broadway runs through the historic Colonial Theatre.There is a special kind of excitement in the air for opening night of a production headed for the Great White Way. It doubles when the production is a world premiere, and triples in a venue such as the 113-year-old Colonial, now officially known as the Citi Performing Arts Center Emerson Colonial Theatre.“Tuck, Everlasting,” based on the beloved book by Natalie Babbitt which twice has been adapted for the screen, is being produced by Broadway Across America, Howard Kagan and Barry Brown. It will open at the Colonial on July 28 and run through Aug. 18 before becoming part of the 2013-14 season on Broadway. The musical will feature a book by Claudia Shear, a score by Chris Miller and Nathan Tysen, and be directed and choreographed by Tony Award-winner Casey Nickolaw (“The Book of Mormon”).The key role of Winnie will be played by 11-year-old Sadie Sink, currently starring in the revival of “Annie” on Broadway. Andrew Keenan-Bolger, late of “Newsies” on Broadway, who also graced the Colonial stage when “Seussical” had its world premiere here, will return to the Colonial in the role of Jesse Tuck, and the cast also includes Caralee Carmello, Fred Applegate, Marylouise Burke, David Garrison. Michael Park, Michael Wartella and Valerie Wright.Sink, Carmello and Keenan-Bolger all took part in a sneak preview of the musical on Jan. 22 at the Colonial, Sink performing a lovely ballad called “Everlasting” and combining with Carmello for “My Most Beautiful Day.”Nickolaw, who spoke via video from London, where he is staging the West End premiere of “The Book of Mormon,” said the producers and creative staff were all in agreement that the Colonial was the right venue for the world premiere of the work, which is based in New England.“Tuck Everlasting” asks the question: If you could live forever, would you? In a small New England town, a young girl dreaming of adventure stumbles upon a family with a fabulous secret. Their chance encounter sends them on a journey that will test everything they believe about love, life, and what it truly means to feel alive.The Colonial, of course, was for many years the preferred route for new works on the way to Broadway, but out-of-town tryouts have for the most part given way to developmental workshops, or full-scale productions at several regional theaters before coming to Broadway.For more information, go to http://www.tuckeverlastingmusical.com or http://www.broadwayinboston.com